STEPHEN LACANT

Bil’s rating (out of 5):   BBB.

Original title:  Freier Fall

Germany, 2013.  Kurhaus Production, Südwestrundfunk.  Screenplay by Stephen Lacant, Karsten Dahlem.  Cinematography by Sten Mende.  Produced by Christoph Holthof, Daniel Reich.  Music by Durbeck & Dohmen.  Production Design by Petra Bock-Hofbauer.  Costume Design by Bettina Marx.  Film Editing by Monika Schindler.  

Aspiring police officer Marc makes friends with Kay in police academy and the two become jogging buddies.  One particular rainy day, the men discover a chemistry between them that leads to more than just running before their training is completed and they separate.  Marc leaves the incident behind and moves on to his first post in a police division, focusing on his pregnant girlfriend and their imminent arrival, until months later when Kay comes to work with him.  A casual encounter now becomes a full-blown affair as the two develop a real passion for each other and Marc is having to live a double life, that is until the homophobic excesses of their colleagues draws Kay out into the open at work, and an error in judgment reveals the mens’ affair to Marc’s family at home.  The guys in the leads couldn’t possibly be more attractive, not to mention having some terrific chemistry between them in the genuinely luscious sex scenes, but haven’t we honestly seen this sort of thing a million times before?  It’s not painful to sit through, but the sense of familiarity nags constantly throughout the entire process, not helped by the shameless excuses for conflict that render all the secondary characters completely unlikable (everyone is either in a bad mood or a violent rage, making it difficult to understand why Marc doesn’t just run away with his new lover first chance he gets).